Roundabout.



No. 854,859. I PATENTED MAY 28. 1907. J. n. WALSH. ROUNDABOUT.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.25, 1906.

JJVVENTO -r.//////fi BY I ATTORNEK JAMES D. WALSIL OF ST. LOUIS,MISSOURI.

ROUNDABOUTl Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed August 25, 1906. Serial No- 331,994.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES D. WALSH, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented cer tain new anduseful Improvements in Roundabouts, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in roundabouts; and consistsin the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forthin the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is anenlarged vertical section of the upper portion thereof on the line 22 ofFig. 3 Fig. 3 is a horizontal Sec-'1 tion on line 33 of Fig. 2; and Fig.4 is a vertical sectional detail of the bearing for the pinion fromwhich the car is suspended.

The object of my invention is to construct a roundabout in which thecars shall not only be caused to revolve about a common fixed axis, butin said revolution, each car will be caused to rotate about anindependent axis of its own, the combined movement producing a novel andhighly exhilarating sensation.

A further object is to construct an apparatus which will be simple,durable, and one designed to be operated with a minimum amount offriction.

In detail the invention may be described as follows Referring to thedrawings, F, represents a tower carrying at its top a horizontallydisposed stationary rack wheel or track 2, the same being secured inposition by braces 3 to the tower F. Passing centrally through the toweris a shaft 4 whose top has radiating therefrom a series of arms 5 rein-4 forced by tie-rods 6, the outer ends of the arms being rovided withbearings 7 for the reception of the spindles 8 of the pinions 9 fromwhich depend centrally the rods 10 carrying the cars 0, the rods beingconnected to the pinions by universal joints 11. The base of the shaft 4is provided with a bevel gear wheel12 which mesheswith apinion 13 on theshaft of a motor M.

The operation of the device is as follows: Rotation being imparted tothe central shaft 4, the pinions are carried about the circular rack ortrack 2 and are accordingly revolved about their axes. The rotation ofthe shaft carries the arms 5 and the cars suspended from them in acircle and about the fixed axis of the central shaft. At the same timeeach pinion 9 engaging as it does the rack 2 will rotate about its ownaxis, thereby rotating its car about the rod 10 as an axis, the joint 11not only permitting this independent rotation to be imparted to eachcar, but allowing the rods to swing outwardly to any extent, dependingon the intensity of the centrifugal plrcfe developed by the rotation ofthe central s a t.

Such details of construction to which no direct reference is here madeare well known in the art and. need not herein be referred to. Of coursein lieu of cars any other form of vehicle such as ships, horses andanimals generally may be substituted all as will appeal to any oneskilled in the art. In lieu of the teeth on the rack and pinions,frictional contact may be relied on to impart the necessary rotation tothe pinions.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A roundabout comprising a central rotating shaft, a stationary circularrack encomassing the same, a series of arms radiating rom the shaftabove the rack, bearings at the ends of the arms, pinions mounted insaid bearings and engaging the rack, rods depending from the pinions,vehicles carried by the rods, and universal joints coupling the rods tothe pinions, the parts operating substantially as, and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES D. WALSH.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, J 0s. A. MICHEL.

